2 Sam. 14 Joab suborning a widow of Tekoah by a parable to incline the king’s heart to fetch home Absalom, bringeth him to Jerusalem, but not into David’s sight, 2 Sam. 14:1–24. Absalom’s beauty, hair, and children, 2 Sam. 14:25–27.

He desired to see him, but was ashamed to show kindness to one whom God’s law and his own conscience obliged him to punish; and wanted a fair pretence, which therefore Joab gave him.

Tekoah; a city of Judah, 2 Chron. 11:5–6. One of Jerusalem was not convenient, lest the king might know the person, or search out the business. And besides, this woman seems to be of great eminency for her wisdom, as the following discourse manifests.

I am indeed a widow woman; one of them who most need thy compassion and assistance, and whom thou art by God’s law obliged in a singular manner to protect and relieve.

There was none to part them; and therefore there is no witness, either that he killed him, or how he killed him, whether from some sudden passion and great provocation, or in his own necessary defence, or otherwise. Slew him; as the avengers of blood report.

That we may kill him; according to the law, Num. 35:19, Deut. 19:12. We will destroy the heir also; so they plainly discover that their prosecution of him was not so much from love of justice, as from a covetous desire to deprive him of the inheritance, and to transfer it to themselves; which…

That thy cause may be justly and truly examined, and thy son preserved from their unjust and malicious proceedings.

The sense is, either, first, this, If I do not inform thee aright, and thou thereby be drawn to give an unrighteous sentence on my behalf, I am willing to bear the whole blame of it before God, and men; I acknowledge thou art wholly innocent in the case. Compare Gen. 27:13.

i.e. So as to hurt or molest thee, by pursuing thy son.

Let the king remember the Lord thy God: the sense is, either, first, Make mention (as this Hebrew verb is oft rendered) of the name of the Lord thy God, to wit, in an oath, i.e.

Having obliged the king by his oath in her supposed case, she now throws off the veil, and begins to apply this parable to the king’s and kingdom’s present case.

If thou wouldst not permit the avengers of blood to molest me, or to destroy my son, who are but two persons; how unreasonable is it that thou shouldst proceed in thy endeavours to avenge Amnon’s blood upon Absalom, whose death would be highly injurious and grievous to the whole commonwealth of…

We must needs die, Heb. in dying we shall die, i. e. we shall certainly and suddenly die all of us; both thou, O king, who therefore art obliged to take due care of thy successor, who is Absalom; and Absalom, who, if he do not die by the hand of justice, must shortly die by the necessity of nature;…

It is because the people have made me afraid; the truth is, I was even forced to this bold address to thee by the disposition and condition of thy people, who are discontented at Absalom’s perpetual banishment, and full of fears; either lest, upon thy death, which none knoweth how soon it may…

For I know the king is so wise and just, that I assure myself of audience and acceptation; which expectation of hers is cunningly insinuated here, that the king might conceive himself obliged to answer it, and not to disappoint her hope, nor to forfeit that good opinion which his subjects now had…

The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable; I doubt not the king will give a gracious and satisfactory answer to my petition. As an angel of God, to wit, in wisdom, and justice, and goodness.

Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? hast thou not said and done this by Joab’s direction and contrivance? None can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: as the king is so wise that no man can deceive him by any turnings or windings to the…

To fetch about this form of speech, i.e. to propose mine, and his, and the people’s desire of Absalom’s restitution in this parabolical manner, in mine and my son’s person.

I have done this thing, in compliance with thy desire; although in truth it was according to his own desire. He overlooks the woman in this grant, because she was but Joab’s instrument in it.

i.e. Restored Absalom at my request; whereby. Joab thought to establish himself for ever, and that he should be both the father’s and the son’s favourite. Quest. Whether David did well in granting this request? Answ.

Let him not see my face; lest whilst he showed some mercy to Absalom, he should seem to approve of his sin, and thereby wound his own conscience, and lose his honour, and encourage him and others to such-like attempts; and that by this means Absalom might be drawn to a more thorough humiliation and…

This is here noted as the occasion of his pride and insolency, and of the people’s affections to him, and consequently of the following rebellion.

Whereas ordinarily the hair of a man’s head which grows in a year’s space comes not to half so much. But some men’s hair grows much faster, and is much heavier, than others. But others understand this not of the weight, but of the price of his hair, which was sold by him that polled it at that rate.

Three sons; all which died not long after they were born, as may be gathered from 2 Sam. 18:18, where it is said that Absalom had no son. Tamar; so called from her aunt, 2 Sam. 13:1.

To have sent him to the king; that by his mediation he might be admitted into the king’s favour and presence. He would not come; partly, because perceiving David’s affections to be cold to Absalom, he would not venture his own interest for him, especially in desiring that which he feared he should…

Go and set it on fire, that Joab may be forced to come to me to complain of and demand reparations for, this injury.

It had been good for me to have been there still, rather than here, because my estrangement from him now when I am so near to him is both moro grievous and more shameful to me.

In testimony of his thorough reconciliation to him; which Absalom did very ill requite, as the next chapter manifesteth.